Sarasota County considers ban on 'spice'

Published: Wednesday, December 11, 2013 at 11:19 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, December 11, 2013 at 11:19 p.m.

SARASOTA - The Legislature has not gone far enough to prevent the sale of designer drugs like bath salts and spice, Sarasota County officials said Wednesday — so they are taking matters into their own hands.

Commissioners unanimously voted to hold a public hearing Feb. 12 on an ordinance that would prevent the sale of such drugs in Sarasota County. They are following the lead of counties like Broward, Hillsborough and Pasco that have passed laws focusing on distribution and marketing of the drugs. State laws currently regulate the drugs based on chemical make-up.

“Manufacturers avoid these bans through perpetual alterations in the chemical composition of the drug,” according to a county staff report. So the products remain legal and easy to find.

"These drugs are literally as close and easy to get as the neighborhood convenience store," the report states.

Synthetic marijuana, often called spice or K2 — though it has a lengthy list of pseudonyms — is made from plant material and chemicals, like formaldehyde, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Drug Enforcement Administration first detected it in the U.S. about five years ago, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

But county officials said it really showed up on their radar a year ago.

Four people were hospitalized Oct. 15 after smoking spice in Sarasota. They collapsed in Five Points Park. One man told officers they were smoking homemade spice sprayed with embalming fluid and formaldehyde, according to a Sarasota Police Department press release. Later that week, three more people were reportedly taken to the hospital after smoking the drug.

A week after the spate of hospitalizations, a woman who later told police she had taken Adderall, alcohol and K-2, put her car in reverse after talking to Sarasota County Sheriff's Office Deputy Karen Boone and started driving toward the deputy, who shot at the woman's vehicle.

Neither person was injured, but Sheriff Tom Knight stressed after the incident that the community needs to understand the danger of synthetic marijuana.

The proposed ordinance also bans kratom, an herb from Southeast Asia that Mel Thomas, a planner with health and human services, said is anticipated to become more popular as municipalities crack down on synthetic marijuana.

Users of the various designer drugs could face a fine of $250 per package or a second-degree misdemeanor charge, Thomas said.

Under the proposed ordinance, a store caught selling the drugs could be fined, have its Business Certificate of Occupancy revoked or be placed on probation for up to six months.

If residents see the drugs in a convenience store, Commissioner Charles Hines urged them to turn around and walk out.

"We can pass laws but we can also vote with our pocketbooks," Hines said.

This issue has been talked about for a long time, Commissioner Carolyn Mason said, and the drugs are having a serious impact on young people.

While roughly 13 percent of Florida high school students reported using synthetic marijuana last year, nearly 22 percent of high school students in Sarasota County reported doing so, according to a Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey.

<p><em>SARASOTA</em> - The Legislature has not gone far enough to prevent the sale of designer drugs like bath salts and spice, Sarasota County officials said Wednesday — so they are taking matters into their own hands. </p><p>Commissioners unanimously voted to hold a public hearing Feb. 12 on an ordinance that would prevent the sale of such drugs in Sarasota County. They are following the lead of counties like Broward, Hillsborough and Pasco that have passed laws focusing on distribution and marketing of the drugs. State laws currently regulate the drugs based on chemical make-up.</p><p>“Manufacturers avoid these bans through perpetual alterations in the chemical composition of the drug,” according to a county staff report. So the products remain legal and easy to find.</p><p>"These drugs are literally as close and easy to get as the neighborhood convenience store," the report states.</p><p>Synthetic marijuana, often called spice or K2 — though it has a lengthy list of pseudonyms — is made from plant material and chemicals, like formaldehyde, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Drug Enforcement Administration first detected it in the U.S. about five years ago, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy.</p><p>But county officials said it really showed up on their radar a year ago. </p><p>Four people were hospitalized Oct. 15 after smoking spice in Sarasota. They collapsed in Five Points Park. One man told officers they were smoking homemade spice sprayed with embalming fluid and formaldehyde, according to a Sarasota Police Department press release. Later that week, three more people were reportedly taken to the hospital after smoking the drug.</p><p>A week after the spate of hospitalizations, a woman who later told police she had taken Adderall, alcohol and K-2, put her car in reverse after talking to Sarasota County Sheriff's Office Deputy Karen Boone and started driving toward the deputy, who shot at the woman's vehicle. </p><p>Neither person was injured, but Sheriff Tom Knight stressed after the incident that the community needs to understand the danger of synthetic marijuana.</p><p>The proposed ordinance also bans kratom, an herb from Southeast Asia that Mel Thomas, a planner with health and human services, said is anticipated to become more popular as municipalities crack down on synthetic marijuana.</p><p>Users of the various designer drugs could face a fine of $250 per package or a second-degree misdemeanor charge, Thomas said.</p><p>Under the proposed ordinance, a store caught selling the drugs could be fined, have its Business Certificate of Occupancy revoked or be placed on probation for up to six months. </p><p>If residents see the drugs in a convenience store, Commissioner Charles Hines urged them to turn around and walk out. </p><p>"We can pass laws but we can also vote with our pocketbooks," Hines said. </p><p>This issue has been talked about for a long time, Commissioner Carolyn Mason said, and the drugs are having a serious impact on young people.</p><p>While roughly 13 percent of Florida high school students reported using synthetic marijuana last year, nearly 22 percent of high school students in Sarasota County reported doing so, according to a Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey.</p>